ICYMI: Meghan Markle’s 37th birthday is this Saturday, August 4. Her first birthday as the Duchess of Sussex is cause for celebration, but it turns out there’s another reason August 4 is dear to the royal family’s heart: It’s also Queen Elizabeth II’s late mother’s birthday.
Elizabeth’s mom, affectionately called the queen mother, was born Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon in 1900 and was the OG Queen Elizabeth. She married Prince Albert Frederick Arthur George (the future King George VI) on April 26, 1923, in Westminster Abbey, in London, and they had two children—Elizabeth and her sister, Princess Margaret.
As fans of The Crown know, King George VI and the queen mother ascended the throne in 1936 after King George V died and King Edward VIII abdicated the throne. Like her daughter, the queen mother enjoyed horseback riding and charity work. She was close with Elizabeth until her death on March 30, 2002.
So how will the royal family celebrate the queen mother’s memory? Queen Liz, of course, is on holiday at Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and Meghan is reportedly attending Harry’s best friend’s wedding.
